It is well known to support containers and similar objects having protrusions at the ends thereof by disposing supports under the protrusions and allowing the containers to depend or hang therefrom under the influence of gravity. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,134,277, issued Apr. 6, 1915, discloses a milk bottle lock in which the top portion of the bottle is inserted into a framework bottom opening. A locking member within the framework is positioned under the bottle protrusion or flange to lock the bottle top so that the bottle cannot be moved downwardly from the framework bottom to remove it, but instead must be slid endwise in the framework to accomplish this.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,363, issued May 10, 1977, shows a device for supporting and storing bottles in side-by-side fashion. Again, the device of this patent permits removal of the bottles only by sliding them endwise. This means that the bottles must be removed in serial fashion. If the user wishes to remove a particular bottle, he or she must first remove all bottles between it and a dispenser opening.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 1,995,370, issued Mar. 26, 1935. This patent relates to a conduit-holding clip device which employs a resilient finger to retain a plurality of pipes in side-by-side relationship. The device of this patent is not really appropriate for supporting objects having protrusions at the ends thereof, for example, cans sealed at their ends with ridges. The device of this patent is for the purpose of retaining conduits and similar articles which have different diameters. If the device of this patent were employed to support objects by their end protrusions, removal of any one thereof or replacement of any one thereof would result in deflection of the resilient finger to such an extent that at least some of the other objects retained thereby would fall from the device.
Another patent of some interest is U.S. Pat. No. 1,398,519 which relates to a hanger or holder for supporting articles of different sizes. In the device, two sets of jaws, one large and one small, are employed and such jaws are disposed in generally superposed relationship. The large jaws are meant to hold a single relatively large object while the small jaws are meant to hold a single relatively small object. The hanger of this patent, however, functions in such a manner that only a single object is retained thereby at any given time. In other words, there is no teaching in U.S. Pat. No. 1,398,519 of maintaining a plurality of objects in side-by-side relationship, much less the utilization of structure which will permit the removal or replacement of the one object without disturbing the others.
United Kingdom Patent Specification No. 2,038,613 discloses an article holder which is used to hold a plurality of objects, such as tools, pens and pencils, and the like in side-by-side relationship. The device or article holder comprises an elongate channel-shaped member having elongate flexible fins projecting toward each other from the side walls of the channel. Very resilient synthetic rubber material is employed in the device to construct the fins, for example, synthetic rubber of the type used to form seals in window double glazing units Articles allegedly may be inserted and removed from between the ribs without other objects dropping out. However, the holder can only be used for holding relatively light-weight objects. The device essentially relies upon a press-fit arrangement wherein sets of cooperating very resilient ribs frictionally engage the sides of objects placed therein. An article holder of that type cannot retain relatively heavy objects like food cans Not only are the ribs too resilient to accomplish this, but the arrangement disclosed does not, as distinguished from applicant's device, provide means for positively engaging the underside of a protrusion formed at the upper end of an object. For example, food cans conventionally incorporate a circumferentially extending protrusion or ridge at least one end thereof. British Specification No. 2,038,613 provides no teaching or suggestion whatsoever of utilizing such a protrusion to provide support for a can or similar object.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,353 which relates to a mounting and protecting device for cathode ray tubes. This patent is of interest only by virtue of the fact that it discloses the general idea of mounting an object in a groove defined by flanges. The device of U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,353 would be totally inappropriate for use in supporting cans or similar objects. In any event, there is no teaching whatsoever of structure which allows the respective selective removal or replacement of objects disposed side-by-side without disturbing other objects releasably supported by the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,185,509, issued May 30, 1916, shows a holder for a single milk bottle or the like. The device has flanges forming grooves for receiving the bead of the bottle. The flanges resiliently urge the bottle into contact with an under surface of the device. There is no teaching that the bottle can be snapped in and out of position; apparently, it must be slid endwise relative to the groove for insertion and removal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,218, issued Jan. 31, 1978, discloses a plastic clip for engaging the top chine of a single can to hold it for decorative display or utilitarian purposes. The single can is held at only one location on the chine, with the chine of a canted can resting on the shoulder of a fixed lip member and engaged by a flexible front wall spaced from the lip member. The can may be replaced and removed by bending the front wall. The device cannot be utilized to support a plurality of cans.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,345, issued Sept. 8, 1970, discloses a portable package for a row of containers. The containers are fixedly held in assembled relation by a channel-shaped strip of material having inturned and upturned flanges which engage the underside of container caps or rolled ends. The strip is simultaneously applied to all the containers by being forced vertically over the top thereof. The flanges enter a recess at the container necks and lock them into position against a cushion which resists movement of the containers. The patent is silent on how the containers are removed but it is apparent that downward removal of one or more of the containers is likely to break or permanently distort the flanges, rendering the device unfit for repeated use. In any event, there is no teaching that a single container can be removed or replaced without disturbing the other containers.
Other patents of which applicant is aware, but of even less pertinence to the present invention, are U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,490, issued Nov. 6, 1962; U.S. Pat. No. 278,161 issued May 22, 1883; U.S. Pat. No. 3,365,068, issued Jan. 23, 1968; Canadian Pat. No. 696,515, issued Oct. 27, 1964; and French Pat. No. 2,323,255.